Conferees Agree to Halt Hours Proposal

House-Senate conferees on the Transportation Appropriations Committee agreed Tuesday morning to prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from implementing its controversial hours of service rules during 2001. Conferees did permit data collection and comment analysis to continue in revising the 60-year-old rules that govern commercial truck driving.

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This provision is part of the transportation appropriations bill which the House could vote on as early as Wednesday.

The transportation appropriations bill is expected to be approved by the White House, congressional sources say.

Members of the Senate and House met for 90 minutes.

DOT had proposed a sharp cutback in the number of hours that drivers could be behind the wheel in a 24-hour period, as a way to cut accidents from driver fatigure. This has prompted widespread opposition from groups representing both trucking companies and drivers.